Come Home for Christmas
by scoob2222
Summary: Jack visits Kim at Christmas, but his daughter has a suprise for him. JackChloe, KimChase


Jack squirmed as he sat on the plane. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Kim or baby Terri or Angela or even Chase, it was just...two whole weeks seemed like so long. He wasn't even used to being around people anymore. He'd spent almost two years with almost no contact with the outside world. He wasn't sure he was ready to jump back in to family togetherness at Christmas.

Of course he couldn't say that to Kim without feeling like an asshole. He'd pretended he'd died, then showed up back in her life and all she wanted was to spend Christmas with him and he was complaining. He should be thanking his stars that she still spoke to him.

He was probably over-reacting. He wasn't even staying at the house with them. He'd decided to stay in a hotel nearby so he could see them, but also have a place to retreat to if necessary. This was all going to be fine.

At least that's what he thought until he knocked on the door and Chloe opened it.

&&&&&&

"Jack," Chloe said, looking anywhere but at him.

"Chloe," his eyes widened in shock, "Uh..."

"Daddy," Kim barreled around the corner and threw herself at him saving him from utter embarrassment. Chloe faded back into the room as Kim, and then Angela and baby Terri made their way to him.

"Here Dad," Kim said, "Hold her."

He smiled at his daughter and took the baby from her. He looked down into her beautiful eyes and wanted to weep. His baby girl had a baby girl of her own, with her mother's eyes and her grandmother's smile.

"She's perfect," he told Kim, then looked beyond her to Chase, "Just perfect."

&&&&&&

Jack was so happy, so absolutely overwhelmed by seeing his daughter and her beautiful children, by seeing her so happy and settled that it almost pushed away the awkwardness at seeing Chloe again.

Almost...but not quite. Especially after dessert when he went to grab his jacket and head to his hotel and Kim stopped him, "Daddy, you have to stay here. It's been snowing for hours and the streets are a mess."

"Kim, sweetheart, I think I can handle the streets, I handle terrorists remember."

Kim shook her head, "Exactly, you've survived horrible things; it makes no sense to risk your life going to a hotel when we have plenty of room here. We can just roll the cot into the spare room. Chloe won't mind sharing, right Chloe?" Kim turned to her friend, who blushed bright red, but then managed to stammer, "No, no I don't mind."

And so despite the fact that Chloe looked like she wanted to disappear into a hole and Chase looked like he wanted to fry him, he reluctantly ended up settling in for the night on an old cot in the guest room...only feet away from Chloe.

He tried to figure out how he'd ended up in this mess, how he ended up doing the one thing he was trying to not to--cause Chloe more stress. He was still wondering when she spoke to him.

"How have you been?" she asked, breaking through the painful silence of the room.

He was so shocked that it took him a full minute to answer, "Fine...I've been fine. Sorry I haven't called you I..."

"Its fine," she said, "I've been busy. Morris and I are seeing each other again so...how's Audrey?"

"Fine," he said, "We're, uh, we broke up. Didn't work out."

Silence reigned again and Jack was annoyed by it this time. Since when did he have trouble talking to Chloe. On the road he talked to her for hours some nights, needing her so much.

"You know Chloe I never thanked you're for that day, and before for taking care of me and standing by me and..."

"I didn't do it for gratitude. I helped you that day because it was the right thing to do and I helped you before that because I lo---" she stopped talking, drew in a raspy breath, "I didn't do it for gratitude."

He sighed, and then stood, moving over to the bed, over to her.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he slid in beside her, "I...I have a boyfriend."

"Chloe you haven't seen Morris in nearly three weeks."

Her eyes widened, "You've been watching me...you've been..."

"I've been keeping tabs on you and Kim...I care about you, I wanted to make sure you were safe and...I missed you Chloe."

She turned away, burrowing down into the bed, "Well I didn't miss you."

He reached out, his hand sliding lightly down the length of her arm, "I'm so sorry about...everything. When I came back I was a mess, I wasn't thinking straight and then after China." He paused and tried to figure out how to say what he needed to say, "I thought I wanted to go back, to before, but I realized I couldn't do that, I shouldn't do that and most of all I didn't want to. I wanted you Chloe, I just...I didn't realize it until you were gone. I was...I have been so lonely without you."

"Really?" she asked, turning to face him, "Please be serious Jack, I...I can't take you breaking my heart again."

"I won't," he promised, "I know I'll mess up, I'll hurt you, but if you give me your heart Chloe, I'll protect it, never break it again, please give me a chance."

Chloe leaned in and kissed him, "You've always had my heart Jack, always."

"Oh Chloe, I love you," he whispered leaning in to kiss her, hands sliding along her body, bringing her close to him.

&&&&&&

The next morning...

Angela crept into the guest room to wake her grandpa Jack and Auntie Chloe so they could open presents. She stopped as she looked over at the bed and saw them. Then she moved back to the door and screamed, "Mommy! Daddy! Come quick! Grandpa Jack and Auntie Chloe are NAKED!"


End file.
